ETFs 101: Back To Basics

ETFs have changed the face of investing, bringing institutional-quality products to investors of all sizes. But how do ETFs actually work, and what risks do you need to avoid? This session provides a complete introduction to ETFs, including:

• How ETFs work: pros and cons
• The history and growth of the ETF market
• UCITS compliance and regulation overview

ETFs 201: Indices: Understanding The Building Blocks Of ETFs

Understanding the underlying index of your ETF is key to understanding what you are invested in, so it's time to take a closer look at your exposure and learn where your performance is coming from. Dividends, index construction and rebalancing are also important factors – and how do you know, for example, that all ETFs tracking global equities are tracking them in the same way?

• A brief history of indexing
• How an index is constructed and tracked
• How index methodology differs

ETFs 301: How To Choose The Best ETF In Every Asset Class

With over 1,000 ETFs listed across Europe, choosing the right one is no simple task but the difference in returns between competing ETFs can be huge. This fast-paced session will examine how to find the best ETF in every area of the market. Topics include:

• A due diligence checklist for choosing ETFs
• Tracking error vs tracking difference
• Evaluating esoteric ETFs

ETFs 401: How ETFs Compare To Everything Else

ETFs have entered a crowded market of investment vehicles. Investors are faced with a plethora of active funds, investment trusts, passive trackers and even the prospect of picking single stocks. Which instrument best fits your portfolio?

• Vehicle by vehicle comparison – tracker funds, active funds, investment trusts and individual securities vs. ETFs
• A table of benefits and risks of different asset classes
• How you are taxed on a vehicle and client level

ETFs 501: How To Trade ETFs

ETFs trade like stocks. ETFs don't trade anything like stocks. Which of these is true? This session examines how ETFs trade, where ETF liquidity comes from and how to get the best price for your trade. Topics Include:

• Creation and redemption
• NAV, iNAVs, premium and discounts
• ETF liquidity explained

ETFs 601: Fixed Income ETFs

ETFs are changing the face of fixed income investing, offering investors targeted exposure to a wide variety of markets. But fixed income ETFs pose some hefty challenges. How do you properly use these powerful tools? Topics include:

• Selecting a fixed income ETF
• Crowded trades: When to avoid the hot new thing
• Underlying bond markets and liquidity

ETFs 701: Currencies & Currency-Hedged ETFs

Actions by the world's central banks have undoubtedly made currency markets more volatile. Many investors overlook the enormous role this can have in their portfolios. ETFs offer the opportunity to control currency risk and boost returns. Topics include:

• How currency movements impact equity returns
• The case for and against currency hedging
• How do currency ETFs work?

ETFs 801: Commodities, Leverage and Inverse

Commodities, short and leverage ETPs can be key drivers of portfolio diversification, but only if you know how to use them appropriately. This critical session will provide a complete introduction to the 'alternative' space and discuss how, where and why they can and should be used in portfolios. Topics include:

• Spot, futures or equities: What is the best way to access commodities?
• Understanding contango and backwardation
• How leverage and inverse ETPs work

ETFs 901: Introduction & Definition

Based on demand from financial advisers, we have designed a Smart Beta webinar series to help you clearly understand how to apply this strategy to your portfolio in the current market.

Cutting through the noise, simplifying Smart Beta, by Matt Hougan, CEO of ETF.com

ETFs 902: Mapping The Smart Beta Landscape

What the main strategies are, and how they're being used to better meet client objectives, by Chanchal Samadder, Head of UK and Ireland Institutional ETF Sales, Lyxor Asset Management

ETFs 903: Macroeconomic Overview In A Market Ripe For Smart Beta

Why the Fed and ECB Are Too Soft & What You Can Do About It, by Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist of First Trust Advisors L.P.

ETFs 904: Demystifying Smart Beta

It's one label with many definitions: What Smart Beta means and whether it's an active or passive strategy, by Todd Schlanger, Investment Strategist of Vanguard's Investment Strategy Group.

Graduate Seminar: ETF Adviser Roundtable: Building A Resilient ETF Portfolio

The key to investment success is to learn from your mistakes and listen to wise advice. Even better if that advice comes from your peers. Join three financial planners and hear about how they built and manage a robust and successful ETF portfolio.

• Hear top tips on asset allocation and fund selection
• Join in the conversation around ongoing due diligence
• How to combine your ETFs with other types of funds and investments